Examples of client-server networks include local area networks (LANS), wide area networks (WANS), global networks (Internet), and the networking of telecommunications devices (e.g., cellular networks, personal communication services (PCS) networks, wireline telephony networks). Although it may appear to an end-user that the network is indifferent to computer type (e.g., Intel®-based PC, a Macintosh, or a UNIX system), the user interface to the network protocols providing the communication interface among heterogeneous computer systems relies on the host operating system (OS) to produce a seemingly transparent network.
For controlling the operation of a computer network, it is common to provide network management devices for discovering and collecting information from different types of networked computers and transferring files to and from remote systems. One such network management device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,116 (issued Oct. 19, 1999) (the “'116 patent”) and incorporated by reference.